Swedish fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft on Friday after it briefly violated Sweden’s airspace east of Gotland, according to the Swedish Armed Forces. The incident has been condemned by Swedish officials, marking the latest in a series of airspace violations that have heightened regional tensions.
The Russian aircraft, identified as a Su-24, entered Swedish airspace without responding to radio warnings from military air traffic controllers. Swedish Gripen jets were scrambled to intercept the intruding plane, successfully escorting it out of Sweden’s territory. Jonas Wikman, the commander of the Swedish Air Force, emphasized the gravity of the breach, stating, “The Russian act is unacceptable and shows a lack of respect for our territorial integrity.”
Swedish Ministry of Defense: Russian Su-24 violated Swedish airspace
On Friday, the Swedish Air Force intercepted a Su-24MR (no. 24 Krasny) of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which, as the Swedish military department stated, violated Swedish airspace east of the island of… pic.twitter.com/4kVvfzaUO4
— Authentic World Updates (@worldupdates245) June 16, 2024
In response to the violation, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom labeled the incident as “unacceptable” and announced that officials from the Russian Embassy in Stockholm would be summoned to address the matter. “We are in close contact with allies and partners about the events in our immediate area,” Billstrom told Reuters.
This incident occurred amidst ongoing naval exercises in the Baltic Sea involving Sweden and several of its NATO allies. Sweden officially joined NATO in March as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality. This shift in policy was driven by escalating security concerns in Europe following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden, along with Finland, which joined NATO in 2022, abandoned their long-standing military neutrality that was a hallmark of their Cold War foreign policy. The move to join NATO reflects the Nordic countries’ response to increased regional instability and the perceived threat from Russia.
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